Interlude
“Kanaka I need a status report, what is your position, currently,” Paragon’s voice over the communicator was as commanding as ever.
Kanaka sighs, as he surveys the destruction, a littered field of burning wreckage, bodies, and one elite who just would not go down. He glances to his left and sees Redline moving into position, and replies over the communicator, “Josiah, your distracting me, I am going off-line...” he smiles as he starts to hear Paragon shouting and then the line goes dead.
Redline laughed, using their private channel, “You know he hates when you do that, he is probably screaming back at HQ, right about now. How do you get away with it?”
“It’s a skill,” Kanaka replies as he drops from the sky a glowing beacon of energy, focusing his gaze on the elite. His voice grew stern and forceful, “Alright, now I am going to ask you again, power down, and come peacefully, its over Rei, your not going to get away from us this time.”
Rei laughs, his mind burning with drug induced aggression and the rush of power his elite powers could inspire. Bishop is gone, most likely dead at the hands of the UNJE, Phase is missing, and there is no one left to turn. His body aches with agony, and although he is the last one left, he would not go down without a fight. Perhaps it was overkill to ignite a firestorm in the business district of this small town, but it did not really matter. They were only baselines, stupid insignificant baselines. There screams for mercy were sad, so weak, so pathetic, it was almost funny.
Redline sent a message to Kanaka, “He has just been standing there for like five minutes, should we move in?”
“Move in, but use caution, at the slightest sign of aggression I am going to take him down. Move!” Kanaka responds, his body coursing with energy.
Rei sees her coming, his mind finally focusing on the here and now, he lazily raised his defenses an unleashed a fiery blast from his palms towards Redline, her body phasing out instantly as she rushed right through Rei. She skids to a stop and smirks, “Alright well I guess he isn’t as far gone as I thought.”
Rei stumbles glancing up towards Kanaka, “You want me, come get me!”
Kanaka sighs, “I gave you a chance kid,” his mind focused as energy coursed through his arm, it lashed out into a bolt of energy that slammed through Rei, ripping through his mind, and frying several of his senses. The young elite collapses, as Kanaka walks forward.
“That makes all five dissidents, I really wished the cops would have hung back, but we were able to clear out any civilians,” Kanaka switches his public communications channel on, “Josiah this is Kanaka, threat has been-”
“KANAKA! What the hell is your problem! You nearly jeopardized the mission, don’t you ever do that again, or I will have your ass so fast!” Paragon’s British accented serves only to accent his growing rage.
Redline just grins, and speaks aloud, “This would be worse if he was here.”
“Oracle is here, Josiah, she is in charge of this operation, your playing observer,” Kanaka replies, “as I was saying. All five dissidents have been neutralized, another good tip, we need to get this informant on our payroll.”
Josiah replies the calm returning to his genteel voice, “What about the target, I don’t care about the Pantheon grunts! I want Metatron, if we can get our hands on her then we can finally break Pantheon once and for all,” Josiah replies with some edge in his voice.
Kanaka sighs, “Well she isn’t here. Lets be thankful we kept the loss of life down, unlike the Matrix club…”
Redline winces and mouths, ‘Low blow…’
Josiah replies slowly, “I had orders, Kanaka. Now if you have a problem with how I run things I suggest we speak about them in private. If not then carry on, Paragon out!”
Oracle descends from the sky landing, “I would suggest you not try and anger him, Kanaka.”
“Magdalena you and I both know, that attack was a mistake, headquarters directed or not, it was stupid. And you know it,” the Japanese elite replied barely suppressing his power.
“Oracle is right though Kanaka, Paragon is doing the best he can. He is a good leader, you have to trust his judgment at least once, and all this in fighting is getting us nowhere, besides we won, sure we made some mistakes but Bishop got captured anyways,” Redline replied.
“Vanessa,” Kanaka sighs, “don’t take this the wrong way, I am not trying to attack Paragon. I just wish he wasn’t so high and mighty, its like he knows stuff we don’t, and he keeps it from us for our own god, its only gotten worse in recent years. Like why the big witch hunt for Metatron, sure she is Pantheon through and through but why the major focus?”
Oracle visibly frowns, “He has his reasons.”
The UN Defense Forces arrive and start dispensing medical care, and apprehending the elite dissidents, making sure to place power suppressors on them for their own safety. Oracle takes a moment to brief the baseline authorities before joining her teammates in their aerodyne.
Redline lays out on the couch, and speaks furiously into the phone about her new fall line, and just how much money he stood to gain from the venture. While Kanaka took a moment to look over the holographic images of his family, before he notices Oracle looking right at him. He closes the image and sits up, “So back to HQ for a debrief, I suppose?”
“Unless HQ calls in otherwise,” Magdalena finds herself a seat, “Kanaka you need to relax, you are pushing yourself, harder then ever and you are becoming more and more critical of Josiah. You know how he is, he won’t change, and your actions won’t help the matter any.”
Kanaka leans forward, “Well you would know you can read our minds, you know exactly what we are like, don’t you?”
Oracle shakes her head, “I wouldn’t know, I stopped trying to figure you two out a long time ago. Besides I never use my powers in that way, it is unethical. None of us have anything to hide, not even Paragon. He is a lot of things, but he is our leader, and a good man. Accept his faults, and move on, all this conflict will only serve to hinder us.”
“Sure,” Kanaka replies, “but when we get back, I want to know what the deal is on Metatron and what is this crap about Bishop being penned for the destruction of Mexico City? You were in on that interrogation, you tell me, you believe it?”
“I am not sure if it matters what I believe. The people demand justice, and he was in the vicinity of the city hours before its destruction. But…” Oracle pauses.
“He didn’t do it. I saw his eyes, the man is pretty messed up, but he isn’t in that kind of business, it does not fit their motives either, several elites died in that disaster. No, he is innocent,” Kanaka replies.
“Perhaps, but there is little we can do about it,” Oracle says with a saddened look.
